Rotary engine.



B. J. CHRISTIE.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIGATIGK FILED 001*.7. 1904.

PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1 mes sws No. 814,018. PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906. E. J. CHRISTIE. ROTARY ENGINE.

IUATION FIL w PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

B. J. CHRISTIE.

ROTARY ENGINE.

mum r UNITED sTAras PATENT OFFICE.

ELZA J. CHRISTIE, OF MARION, IOWA. ASSIGNOR 'lO SARAH J. CHRISTIE OF MARION, IOWA.

ROTARY ENGlNE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

latented March 6, 1906.

To aid LU/LU'I/b 1? ntatl/ concern-.-

Be it known that I, ELZA J Cnnrsrra, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ma rion, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the followin is a specification.

The object of this invention is to produce a rotary engine in which a positive circular motion is given to the moving parts and cams or the like interruptive parts are avoided with a view to securing high speed, smooth running, and great efiicicncy.

The nature of the invention will clearly appear from the description and claims followmg, reference being had to the accompanyin drawings, in which igure 1 is a side elevation of an engine embodying my improvements without the steam connections. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a section of the same with steam connections in the line d of Fig. 2. Fi 4 is a section of the engine in the line a b of ig. 2. Fig. 5 is a fra mentary view illustrating an auxiliary cut-o partly in the same section as Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a section through the cutoff valvein the line e f of Fig. 5.

The engine embodies the principle of a rotating member connected with or forming a part of the main shaft, a circular steam-chest in continuous engagement therewith, and another member against which the pressure of the steam is exerted mounted in said rotating member in a plane parallel to its axis and made to positivelyrevolve in said plane. The peculiar manner in which this principle is practically applied will now be described.

in the drawings, 1 is a base-casting having diver ing arms 2 provided with bearings 3 to take t e main shaft 4. In practice this main shaft is preferably a casting and in the middle expands to form a circular seat 5 for a disk 6 mounted to revolve therein. For convenience this casting may be called the driver. The base-casting terminates at the top in a ring 7, which greatl r strengthens the curved arms 2, but is mainly useful as a convenient support and means of attachment for the annular steam-chest 8, bolted in halves thereto at 9 and preferably resting on the base at 10. At opposite points this steamchest ring is provided with inwardly-projecting abutments 11, which Form a double backing for the steam, as will be shown presently.

Fitted to the steam-chest ring is an annular steam-receiver forming a part of the driver. One half of it is a component part of the same casting as that containing the main shaft, the other and corresponding half bein bolted to it in an annular recess 12 forms therein. These parts form bearings at 13 for the shaft 14, to which the disk 6 is secured. At the outside they have annular flanges 15 to fit nicely a ainst the sides of the steamchest ring and are provided with a circumferential groove 16, which for convenience.in milling to a steam fit on the ahutments may be semicircular in cross-section, as shown.

At opposite sides the steam-disk 6 is provided with gaps 17 of suitable size to permit the disk to pass the abutments while revolving continuously, the length of the aps depending on the width and length of t e abutments and the speed of revolution of the disk as compared with the driver. A positive rotation is imparted to the disk by a system of gears. (Ilustrated in Figs 1, 2, and 4.) To the disk shaft is secured a bevel gear 18, which meshes with a bevel-pinion 19, secured to a shaft 20, mounted in bearings 21 at one side of the driver. At the outer end of this shaft is a spur-pinion '22, meshing with an internal gear 22 in the form of aring bolted to the lease at 23 and 24. The ratio must of course be such as to bring the gaps in the disks in register with the abutments as the driver and disk revolve in planes perpendicular to each other.

In the steam-chest ring, each side of the abutments are steamorts 25, communicating with pipes 26, whic in an engine adapted for reverse movement may be either steampipes or exhaust-pipes at will, according to an arrangement shown in Fig. 8. In this each pipe is provided with a threeway valve 27, connecting in pairs at each end by a crosspipe 28 and each communicating by a pipe 29 with a common stean1-pipe 30. In Fig. 3 it will be understood that the diagonal valves permit the How of live steam to the engine, While those parallel with the pipes allow for free exhaust.

The engine is shown on the dead-center. In this position steam admitted to it would of course blow straight through it; but if the driver be turned a few degrees the disk will pass the abutments and cut across the groove 16, its outer edge running in close contact with the curved inner face of the ring 8. A pressure-chamber is thus formed between the abutment and the advancing disk at each. side of the engine, and the pressure of steam therein serves of course to revolve the driver. An engine composed of these simple elements would operate, though not with the best efficiency, as there would be leakage each time the disk passed the abutments. With a view, however, to showing the engine reduced to the lowest terms and claiming it in its simplest form this construction has been shown in the principal figures of the drawings. In Figs. 5 and 6, however, is illustrated a simple cut-off designed to prevent this leakage by cutting off the admission of steam while the disk is passing the abutments. At some suitable placethe top of thesteamchest ring, for exampleis formed a valveseat 31, and in this is fitted a valve 32, preferably of the oscillating type. The stem 33 of this valve passes through an outer bearing 34, and its crank 35 connects by a suitable rod 36 with an eccentric 37 on the main shaft. By properly setting the eccentric on' the shaft the valve may be made to open only when the disk is intermediate of the abut ments. By shiftin the eccentric on the shaft the en ine wouId be reversed, the three way valves eing correspondingly shifted.

No attempt has been made herein to show detail of steam-packing, link mechanism for reversing, or other purely-mechanical features, the aim being to set forth in simple form What is believed to be a rotary engine of a novel type.

In order to theoretical perfection it is to be noted that the steam-chest ring should be the equatorial section. of a hollow sphere and the disk which fits it inside should be the corresponding section of a solid sphere.

The engine is more especially designed for steam, but might be driven by compressed air, gas, or other expansive vapor.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. In a rotary engine, the combination with suitable bearings, of a steam-chest ring forming the equatorial section of a hollow sphere, a driver fitted to revolve therein, and provided with a circumferential steam-recess adjacent to the steam-chest ring, and with an externallyaccessible steam-disk or valve seat to take a centrally-mounted valve or steam-disk in an expanded art of the driver transverse to the ring, a va ve or steam-disk mounted to turn in said seat, and means for revolving the same.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination with a suitable base and bearings, of a rotary driver provided with a circumferential steamrecess, a steam-chest ring in contact therewith, and provided with oppositely-disposed abutments fitting said recess, a disk having oppositely-disposed ga s to pass said abutments carried by the river and adapted to intercept the steam in said recess at points intermediate of the abutments, and means for giving positive rotation to the disk in a plane transverse to that of the driver.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination with a suitable base and bearings, of a rotary driver having a central ring with a circumferential steam-recess, and a transverselyexpanded portion forming a seat for a steam disk, a steam-chest ring in contact with said driver-ring, and provided with abutments fitting said recess, a steam-disk carried by the driver, and adapted to cut across said recess, with peripheral gaps to permit it to pass the abutments, and means for revolving it in a plane transverse to that of the driver.

4. In a rotary engine, the combination with a suitable base and bearings, of a rotary driver having a cylindrical middle portion with circumferential steam-recess therein, a steam-chest ring fitted thereto, and having abutments fitting said recess, a disk carried by the driver, having peripheral ga s to per mit it to pass the abutments, and adapted to cut across and close said recess, a fixed gear concentric with the axis of the driver, and gearing connecting the same and the disk, whereby it is positively revolved in a plane transverse to that of the driver.

5. In a rotary engine, the combination with a rotary driver, of a steam-chest ring forming the equatorial section of a hollow sphere, in continuous contact with said driver, and a disk carried by the driver, the disk being the corresponding section of a solid sphere, and means for revolving the disk on an axis central to the ring and parallel with its sides.

6. In a rotary engine, the combination of a rotating driver having a cylindrical central portion with a circumferential steam-recess therein, a ring inclosing the same, abutments on said ring fitting said recess, steam-ports adjacent to the abutments, a disk mounted in the driver in a plane transverse to the ring and having peripheral gaps for the passing of the abutments, the said disk being adapted to cut across the recess and contact with the ring between the abutments, means for imparting rotary motion to the disk as the driver revolves, an auxiliary cut-ofi valve, and means for operating the same to open after the gaps in the disk have passed the abutments.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ELZA J. CHRISTIE.

Witnesses;-

F. J. KUBICEK, J. M. ST. JOHN. 

